Begonia plant named ‘Bela Lilacpink’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Begonia  plant named ‘Bela Lilacpink’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; double flowers that are dark pink in color and held above and beyond the foliage; and excellent postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Begonia×hiemalis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Bela Lilacpink’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Begonia plant, botanically known as Begonia×hiemalis, commercially known as Elatior Begonia and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bela Lilacpink’.

The new Begonia is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Begonia×hiemalis cultivar Bela, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,655. The new Begonia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within a population of plants of the parent cultivar in a controlled greenhouse environment in Ermelo, The Netherlands in April, 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Begonia by cuttings taken in a controlled greenhouse environment in Ermelo, the Netherlands since June, 2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Begonia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Bela Lilacpink has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bela Lilacpink’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bela Lilacpink’ as a new and distinct Begonia:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Double flowers that are dark pink in color and held above and         beyond the foliage.     -   4. Excellent postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Begonia differ primarily from plants of the parent, the cultivar Bela, in flower color as plants of the cultivar Bela have dark pinkish red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Begonia can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Berseba, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Ermelo, The Netherlands, plants of the new Begonia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Berseba in flower color as plants of the cultivar Berseba had lighter pink-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Begonia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Begonia.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bela Lilacpink’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close up view of upper and lower surfaces of typical leaves (left) and upper, side and lower surfaces of typical flowers (right) of ‘Bela Lilacpink’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Ermelo, The Netherlands, under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse during the winter. Average day and night temperatures were 20° C. during the first three to four weeks then lowered to an average day and night temperature of 18° C. until flowering. Four weeks after planting rooted cuttings in 13-cm containers, two five-day periods of long nyctoperiods of 16 hours were given and were separated by two days and subsequently followed by short nyctoperiods of eight hours until flowering. Plants were pinched one time about one week after planting. Plants were about 14 weeks from planting when the photographs and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Begonia×hiemalis cultivar Bela Lilacpink. -   Commercial classification: Elatior Begonia. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the     Begonia×hiemalis cultivar Bela, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.     13,655. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to develop roots.—About 20 days at temperatures 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About five weeks at             temperatures of 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, well-branched; white/orange             in color. Plants of the new Begonia have not been observed             to form tubers. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form.—Compact, upright and mounded plant habit,             inverted triangle; freely branching with good stem and stem             base strength. Flowers are double and abundant. Plants             flower continuously.         -   Growth habit.—Vigorous growth habit; suitable for 12 to             15-cm containers. Under optimal environmental and cultural             conditions, usually about 14 weeks are required to produce             proportional 13-cm potted plants from cuttings. Vegetative             shoots are formed at basal nodes and flowering shoots are             formed at upper nodes.         -   Plant height.—About 25 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 42 cm.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Simple, alternate. Developing leaves,             length: About 8 cm. Developing leaves, width: About 6 cm.             Fully expanded leaves, length: About 14 cm. Fully expanded             leaves, width: About 11 cm. Shape: Roughly reniform. Apex:             Acuminate to acute. Base: Cordate; oblique. Margin: Doubly             serrate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Venation pattern: Palmate. Color: Developing             leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A. Developing leaves,             lower surface: Close to 191A. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Darker than 147A; venation, 147B. Fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to 191A; venation, 146B to             146C. Petiole length: About 1.5 cm to 8 cm. Petiole texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent. Petiole color,             upper and lower surfaces: Lighter than 152C; with             development, color becoming closer to 174B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flowering habit.—Double flowers with numerous tepals             arranged in axillary cymes. Usually five to nine flowers per             cyme. Many cymes in flower simultaneously. Flowers             positioned above and beyond the foliage. Flowering             continuous.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants will flower year round             regardless of nyctoperiod, however plants flower earlier and             more abundantly from mid-February until November in the             Northern Hemisphere.         -   Flowers.—Shape: Rounded; rose-like. Diameter: About 6.5 cm             to 7 cm. Depth (height): About 2 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm to 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 1             cm to 2.5 cm. Color: Towards the base, close to 47C; towards             the apex, 53C.         -   Tepals.—Arrangement: Rosette. Quantity per flower: Usually             about 30 per flower. Size: Outer tepals, length: About 3 cm             to 3.5 cm. Outer tepals, width: About 4 cm. Inner tepals,             length: About 1.5 cm to 2.5 cm. Inner tepals, width: About             1.3 cm to 2.5 cm. Shape: Rounded flabellate. Apex: Rounded.             Margin: Slightly crenate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Close to N57A. When opening, lower surface: Close             to 54A. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 63B. Fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 54A to 54B.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity/arrangement: Two, opposite. Shape:             Broadly ovate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 146D overlain with 178A.         -   Peduncles.—Angle: Erect. Length: About 6 cm. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: Close to 152B.         -   Pedicels.—Angle: Erect. Length: About 2.5 cm to 3 cm.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: More green than 199A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: None observed. Pistils: None             observed.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been observed             as reproductive organs are not formed. -   Postproduction longevity:     -   -   Individual flowers.—Generally about two to three weeks.         -   Whole plants.—About seven weeks under interior conditions. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Begonia has not been observed. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Begonia have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 10° C. to about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Begonia plant named ‘Bela Lilacpink’ as illustrated and described. 